[banknote output control device with prevents supply of stacked banknotes]

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a banknote output control device, which includes an optical transmitter module controlled to emit light across the banknote delivery path, an optical receiver module controlled to detect light passing from the optical transmitter module across the banknote delivery path, and a control circuit, which continues the output of a banknote when the value of the detected signal from the optical receiver module is approximately equal to the predetermined reference value, or reverses the banknote delivering direction when the value of the detected signal from the optical receiver module differs from the predetermined reference value significantly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a banknote output control device for use in, for example, a money exchanging machine and more particularly, to such a banknote output control device that prevents supply of stacked banknotes.

2. Description of the Related Art

Following fast development of high technology, a variety of auto vending machines (such as ticket vending machines, money exchanging machines, etc.) have been developed and intensively used in public places, stores, and etc. In an auto vending machine, a banknote (ticket) output control device may be used to automatically output banknotes (tickets). Because a banknote (ticket) has a thin thickness, two or more banknotes (tickets) may be carried together for output erroneously.

FIG. 8 shows a banknote output control device A according to the prior art. According to this design, the banknote output control device A comprises a chamber A1, a gap control device B provided in front of the chamber A1 for adjusting the banknote delivery gap, a plurality of output wheels A2 provided below the chamber A1, and a motor A3 adapted to rotate the output wheels A2 to carry banknotes C out of the chamber A1 through the gap control device B. The length of the circumference of the output wheels A2 is shorter than the length of the banknotes C. The output wheels A2 are made of a material of high coefficient of friction, for example, rubber. Rotating the output wheels A2 causes the output wheels A2 to carry the banknotes C one after another. For enabling the aforesaid structure to output one banknote per each time, the ratio between the length of the circumference of the output wheels A2 and the length of the banknotes C must be calculated so that the turning angle of the output wheels A2 can be controlled corresponding to the length of the banknotes C. However, because different banknotes have different sizes, one banknote output control device fits only one particular type of banknotes. Further, the output wheels A2 use a friction force to carry the banknotes C. During rotation, the output wheels A2 may carry multiple banknotes C outwards at a time. Further, because a banknote C has a thin thickness, it is difficult to adjust the banknote delivery gap to the thickness of the banknotes C accurately. If the banknote delivery gap is not equal to the thickness of the banknotes C, two or more banknotes C may be delivered together, or banknotes C may be jammed in the gap control device B, resulting in failure of the whole system.

Therefore, it is desirable to provide a banknote output control device that eliminates the aforesaid drawbacks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a banknote output control device, which prevents supply of stacked banknotes. To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, the banknote output control device uses an optical transmitter module to emit light across the banknote delivery path, an optical receiver module to detect light passing from the optical transmitter module across the banknote delivery path, and a control circuit to control the output of banknote subject to the detection result. When only one banknote is delivered through the banknote delivery path, the value of the detection signal from the optical receiver module is approximately equal to a predetermined reference value. When two or more banknotes are put together and carried through the banknote delivery path, the transmittancy of the banknotes detected by the optical receiver module is far from the reference value. At this time, the control circuit reverses the banknote carrying direction, preventing output of stacked banknotes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a banknote output control device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the banknote output control device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional side view of the banknote output control device according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram of the control circuit of the banknote output control device according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic side view showing the status of the banknote output control device before output of a banknote.

FIG. 6 is similar to FIG. 5 but showing a banknote delivered to the banknote outlet.

FIG. 7 is an operation flow chart of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic side view of the prior art design.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1˜3, a banknote output control device in accordance with the present invention is shown comprised of an optical receiver module 2, an optical transmitter module 3, and a housing 1 houses the optical receiver module 2 and the optical emitter module 3.

The housing 1 comprises a horizontal inside board 11, which has a plurality of openings 111, an accommodating chamber 12 defined above the horizontal inside board 11, a receiving chamber 13 defined below the horizontal inside board 11, a banknote outlet 15, and a banknote delivery path 14 in communication between the accommodating chamber 12 and the banknote outlet 15.

The optical receiver module 2 is provided at one side of the banknote delivery path 14 adjacent to the banknote outlet 15. The optical receiver module 2 is electrically connected to a control circuit, and comprised of resistors, capacitors, photoelectric transistors, and a photo sensor 21 (see FIG. 4).

The optical transmitter module 3 is provided at one side of the banknote delivery path 14 opposite to the optical receiver module 2. The optical transmitter module 3 is electrically connected to the aforesaid control circuit, and comprised of resistors, capacitors, transistors, and a light emitting device 31 (see FIG. 4). The light emitting device 31 faces the photo sensor 21. The aforesaid control circuit controls the intensity of light of the light emitting device 31 by means of controlling the flowing of electric current to the light emitting device 31. Light from the light emitting device 31 passes across the banknote delivery path 14 toward the photo sensor 21. The photo sensor 21 sends detected light signal to the control circuit for comparison with a predetermined reference value.

Further, the housing 1 houses a transmission wheel set 4 and an output wheel set 5. The transmission wheel set 4 is mounted in the receiving chamber 13 below the horizontal inside board 11, comprised of a plurality of wheels 41. Some wheels 41 have a respective push block 411 fixedly provided at one side and protruding over the openings 111 of the horizontal inside board 11. The output wheel set 5 is mounted in the accommodating chamber 12 between the horizontal inside board 11 and the banknote delivery path 14, comprising a dispensing wheel 51, an adjustment wheel 52, and an impression wheel 53. The dispensing wheel 51, adjustment wheel 52 and impression wheel 53 of the output wheel set 5 are kept in contact with the periphery of the respective wheels 41 of the transmission wheel set 4. The adjustment wheel 52 can be moved to adjust the pitch between the adjustment wheel 52 and the corresponding wheel 41.

Further, the aforesaid optical receiver module 2, optical transmitter module 3, transmission wheel set 4, output wheel set 5 and control circuit (see FIG. 4) are electrically connected with a driving mechanism (not shown). The control circuit controls the operation of the optical receiver module 2 and the optical transmitter module 3 and controls the transmission wheel set 4 and output wheel set 5 to pick up banknotes individually and to deliver each received banknote to the banknote outlet 15 subject to a set program. Further, the housing 1 is connected to a main unit (not shown). The main unit can be a computer, money exchanging machine, or vending machine. Through the main unit, the user can set the operation mode of the control circuit.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6 and FIG. 3 again, a number of banknotes 6 are arranged in a stack inside the accommodating chamber 12 of the housing 1. When started the mode of outputting a banknote, the transmission wheel set 4 is rotated forwards. During forward rotation of the wheels 41, the push block 411 of one wheel 41 is rubbed over the first banknote of the banknotes 6 to carry the banknotes 6 toward the banknote outlet 15 and to further push the first banknote of the banknotes 6 toward the dispensing wheel 51 of the output wheel set 5. When the banknotes 6 touched the dispensing wheel 51, the dispensing wheel 51 pushes the banknotes 6 into a stepped status and carries the stepped banknotes 6 toward the impression wheel 53, enabling the first banknote of the banknotes 6 to be transferred through the gap between the adjustment wheel 52 and the corresponding wheel 41 into the banknote delivery path 14. At this time, the optical receiver module 2 and the optical transmitter module 3 are operated.

Referring to FIG. 7, when started the optical receiver module 2 and the optical transmitter module 3, the control circuit (see FIG. 4) operates subject to the following steps:

(101) proceeding with system initialization after start;

(102) judging if there is a banknote for output? And then entering step (103) if positive, or repeating step (102) if negative;

(103) driving the optical transmitter module to emit light and the optical receiver module to receive light signal directly from the optical transmitter module or via the banknote being transferred, and then entering step (104);

(104) comparing the value of the detected signal from the optical receiver module with the predetermined reference value, and then proceeding to step (105) if the two values are approximately equal, or to step (106) if the difference between these two values surpassed a predetermined value (two banknotes are outputted together);

(105) continuing the operation of the optical transmitter module and the optical receiver module to detect if the banknote has been sent out or not? And then proceeding to step (108) if positive, or to step (106) if negative (overtime);

(106) reversing the output wheel set and then proceeding to step (107);

(107) shutting down the device and then starting a troubleshooting operation; and

(108) End.

As indicated above, the invention uses an optical transmitter module and an optical receiver module to detect the transmittancy of the outputting banknote. When the transmittancy surpassed a predetermined value, it is judged to have multiple banknotes put together, preventing output of multiple banknotes at a time. The reference value can be obtained from the mean value of several tests. The obtained reference value is then written in the program of the control circuit. Therefore, different reference value can be accurately set for different banknotes.

A prototype of banknote output control device has been constructed with the features of FIGS. 1˜7. The banknote output control device functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. A banknote output control device comprising a housing, said housing having a banknote delivery path and a banknote outlet at one end of said banknote delivery path; an optical transmitter module mounted inside said housing at one side of said banknote delivery path adjacent to said banknote outlet and adapted to emit light across said banknote delivery path; an optical receiver module mounted inside said housing at one side of said banknote delivery path adjacent to said banknote outlet and opposite to said optical transmitter module and adapted to receive light passing from said optical transmitter module across said banknote delivery path and to output a corresponding detection signal; and a control circuit adapted to receive the detection signal from said optical receiver module, to compare the value of the detection signal with a predetermined reference value set in said control circuit; wherein when the value of the detection signal is approximately equal to said reference value during comparison by said control circuit, said control circuit continues the output of a banknote; if there is a difference greater than a predetermined value between the value of the detection signal obtained from said optical receiver module and said reference value, said control circuit stops a banknote output operation and reverses the delivery of banknotes.
 2. The banknote output control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing comprises a horizontal inside board disposed at one side of said banknote delivery path, said horizontal inside board having a plurality of openings, an accommodating chamber defined above said horizontal inside board for accommodating a stack of banknotes, and a receiving chamber defined below said horizontal inside board.
 3. The banknote output control device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a transmission wheel set mounted in said receiving chamber and adapted to carry accommodated banknotes out of said horizontal inside board toward said banknote delivery path, and an output wheel set mounted in said accommodating chamber between said horizontal inside board and said banknote delivery path and adapted to carry each transferred banknote from said transmission wheel set to said banknote outlet.
 4. The banknote output control device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said transmission wheel set comprises a plurality of wheels respectively partially projecting into said openings of said horizontal inside board; said output wheel set comprises a dispensing wheel for dispensing banknotes delivered from said transmission wheel set, an adjustment wheel, and an impression wheel.
 5. The banknote output control device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said dispensing wheel, said adjustment wheel and said impression wheel of said output wheel set are respectively peripherally set in contact with the periphery of the wheels of said transmission wheel set; said adjustment wheel is adjustable relative to the respective transmission wheel to adjust the pitch between said adjustment wheel and the respective wheel.
 6. The banknote output control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said optical transmitter module is electrically connected to said control circuit and comprised of resistors, capacitors, transistors and a light emitting device; said control circuit controls the flowing of an electric current to said light emitting device to further control the light intensity of said light emitting device.
 7. The banknote output control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said optical receiver module is electrically connected to said control circuit and comprised of resistors, capacitors, photoelectric transistors, and a photo sensor, said photo sensor being adapted to receive light passing from said light emitting device across said banknote delivery path and to output a corresponding detection signal to said control circuit.
 8. The banknote output control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reference value is obtained by calculating the mean value of the detection signals of multiple banknote output tests. 